At first glance, Lions' training camp this summer looks a lot like Lions' training camp last summer.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford is zinging passes to Calvin Johnson. Ndamukong Suh is very active in the middle of the defensive line.

Yet, the Lions are a much different team. They have more skill at running back and speed in the secondary. Their offensive line was plodding. It is quicker and moves better in unison, at least in practice, after being revamped.

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There were so many references to the height of the defensive linemen the Lions selected that it became a running joke the weekend of the NFL Draft.

But in full pads, for only the second time since the draft Tuesday, it was stunning. Not only did the Lions draft 6-5 Ziggy Ansah and 6-7 Devin Taylor in the first and fourth rounds, but they signed veteran defensive end Isreal Idonije, who is every bit his listed height of 6-6.

Looks can be deceiving in the NFL, but the Lions' defensive line does look intimidating.

The Lions special teams units were awful in every way last season, save for placekicker Jason Hanson, who retired. The Lions have completely changed their special teams units.

The most interesting and telling response after Tuesday's workout was from Lions' head coach Jim Schwartz when it was noted, in their respective careers, none of the Detroit's defensive ends has had a double-digit season in sacks.

"Some of these guys haven't had a career yet," Schwartz said.

It summed up the balancing act in totality for the Lions. They have known quantities. They have kept the ones from last year who can still play - and replaced the others with the great unknown.

Stafford, Johnson, Suh - you can pretty bank on each of them performing well this season, although to what degree is open to debate, especially in regard to Suh and Stafford. I don't know if Reggie Bush is going to be a great player for the Lions, but he will be, at minimum, a good one. Same with cornerback Chris Houston, linebackers Stephen Tulloch and DeAndre Levy and free agent safety Glover Quin on the defense.

But whether this season is more like 2011, when the Lions were 10- 6 and made the playoffs, or 2012, when they unexpectedly and inexplicably imploded, is going to be based on the rest of the team.

The NFL is no different than any other league. Star power does count. Yet, unlike other sports, a star or two or even three can't overcome too many weak links in the chain.

The Lions were a 4-4 team last year. Then it fell apart. However, Johnson kept on catching passes to the point he became the NFL's all-time single season receiving yardage leader. Suh played his best football the second half of the year. Stafford threw for a lot of yards.

It was the rest of the package, the supporting cast, that didn't fit.

On Tuesday, during the Lions training camp workout, this is what stood out to me:

- The Lions have their best trio of cornerbacks in ages. Houston is a solid, veteran player. Rookie Darius Slay is immensely talented. Bill Bentley is a tough, gritty player who plays bigger than his size suggests. The best part: They can all run. The Lions have been notorious for having slow cornerbacks.

- Theo Riddick, the Lions' sixth round draft pick from Notre Dame, isn't big nor fast, but he has excellent hands and good instincts. These were full out drills Tuesday and Riddick got a swing pass thrown his way. It was well behind him. He reached back and made a smooth catch and a quick transition up the field nonetheless. He picked his way through the holes adroitly on running plays. He was a tremendous clutch player at Notre Dame. Don't be surprised if he emerges in the preseason games.

- After practice, much-maligned tight end Brandon Pettigrew endured a media scrum in which the word "dropped" was mentioned at least a dozen times. To Lions' fans, Pettigrew's middle initial is "D" - for dropped. To his credit, Pettigrew answered the questions with poise and without excuses. The bad sentiment Lions' fans have for Pettigrew is not shared by his teammates or coaches. They see him as a hard worker, who will thrive after a trying season. It wouldn't surprise me if they are right.

- The Lions' practice tempo Tuesday was more in line with the first three years of the current coaching regime. Last off season and training camp, for whatever reason, the Lions moved much slower. It transformed onto the field in game conditions. It's an underrated factor, especially as it pertains to offense. Quick tempo is one of the reasons former Oregon coach Chip Kelly is now the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and all the rage in football at all levels. It will be interesting to see if the quicker tempo translates under game conditions, starting with the Lions' preseason opener a week from Friday vs. the New York Jets.